Tail-holder.



W. G. HORSTMANV TAIL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9. 1915.

1 485,321.- Patnted May30, 1916.

ZaL'f/zsses v v v jzuenior.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WASHINGTON. D. c.

WALTER G. I-IORSIMAN, or LACONA, IOWA.

TAIL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 30, 1916.

Application filed August 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 44,647.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER G. HonsT- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lacona, in the county of VVarren and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Tail-Holder, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tail holder of simple, durable and inexpensive construction. I.

More particularly it is my object to provide a device of the kind mentioned which can be readily and easily secured to a cows tail and mounted on the leg without the use of any separate parts or special tools, in such a way that the tail can be held so that the cow cannot Switch the tail during the milking operation.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the-objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of the device with the clamp member open. Fig. 2 shows a similar view of the clamp device in closed or locked position.

My improved tail holder is preferably made of strong, comparatively heavy gage spring wire, formed into a comparatively large double coil 10 at one end to form a spring, .and with its ends 11 and 12 crossing each other and extending away from the spring coil 10 to form receiving arms for the leg of the cow or other animal spaced from each other in their central portions. The end of the arm 11 is folded back at 13 on the body of the arm, and is then provided with an oppositely extending member 14. The parts 13 and 14 with the arm 11 form a spring clip, into which the hair of the tail may be inserted if desired. The end of the arm 12' farthest from the spring coil 10 extends beyond the end of the arm 11, and is there bent to form a shaft 15, and is then bent back on itself at 16 to a point near the spring'coil 10 and is then twisted at 17 around the body of the arm 12 to hold the portion 16 in position.

Mounted between the portions 12 and 16 on the shaft 15 to rotate thereon, isa coil 18 forming part of a spring clamp arm 19, which armis thus pivotally mounted on the shaft 15. The coil 18 on the shaft 15 and the members 16 and 12 are so arranged that the spring clamp arm 19 swings in substantially the same plane as that in which the arms 11 and 12 are located.

Near the free end of the spring clamp arm 19, which may be made of the same sort of resilient metal as the members 11 and 12, is formed an outwardly curved portion 20, forming a handle.

On the end of the arm 19 is formed a laterally extending portion 21, adapted when the arm 19 is sprung laterally somewhat, to extend over and engage the coils of the spring coil 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2, whereby the portion 19 is locked by the spring of the parts adjacent to the arm 12.

It may be noted that my improved device may be made of different material, but is preferably made of comparatively large resilient or spring wire, and is made with a coil 10 comparatively large so that the ends of the arms 11 and 12 may be easily sprung apart without too great tension being imposed thereon for receiving the leg of any cow. The coil 10 also forms a handle for holding the entire device and a portion which the hook member 21 may engage for locking the clamping member 19.

The member 19, which is mounted as hereinbefore stated to swing in the same plane in which the members 11 and 12 are located, on account of the particular construction of the coil 18 and the shaft 15 and the parts connected therewith, forms a positive clamp for gripping the hair of the tail between the members 19 and 12 and holding the tail by the spring of the metal.

Attention is called to the fact that the end of the member 12 projects beyond the end of the member 11, so that the device may be mounted on a cows leg by the operator with the use of one hand by placing the extreme end of the member 12 against the cows leg and pulling away therefrom with the hand gripping the member 11, and then simply sliding the parts over the leg. As the spring device, comprised of the parts 11, 12 and 10, opens up, the tail may then be clamped and the device used during the milking operation. 7

Attention is called to the strength and V lightness of the device made of spring wire,

and to the cheapness with which the entire device may be constructed.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of the parts of my improved tail holder Without departing from its essential features and purpose, and it is my intention to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claim.

I claim as my invention:

A tail holder comprising a resilient wire coil adapted to serve as a handle, the ends of said coil forming opposite extensions adapted to encircle the leg of an animal, the outer portion of one of said extensions being bent to form a vertical member and then being inclined parallel with the extension of which it is a part and. secured thereto near said coil a clamping member pivoted to said vertical portion adapted to be moved to a positionadjacent to one' of said extensions, for gripping the tail of an animal,

said clamping member having a portion 20 bent outwardly and away from the body thereof to form a handle, and a portion beyond said handle portion forming a hook member adapted to engage said coil for locking the clamping member in operative po- 5 Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents 7 Washington, D. 6." 

